Invisible
by Gothic Phoenix
Summary: Basically about Draco and Hermione...what happens after the events in the Sixth book.
1. Chapter 1

Draco stood there, his hand on his cheek as he stared after the wrathful goddess form of Hermione as she walked away from him. He couldn't believe she had done it again, his cheek smarted brutally. He shook his head, his hair flying around him and settled into his eyes as he looked up at the smug expression on Pansy's face. She then flounced after Hermione and left him there at the end of a deserted corridor. He couldn't believe what had happened, what almost happened…

"I know everything that's going on Draco, all your dirty little secrets and how you couldn't go back to the Dark Lord after Dumbledore's death," Pansy had hissed after she had cornered him in the dark corridor. He had stared at her ice blue eyes, her long yellow blonde hair that was curled at the ends and brushed against the middle of her back as she paced back and forth before him.

"So what Parkinson? You can't prove anything and who would you have to prove?" Draco growled.

"For one, the other Slytherins…Blaise especially, how devastated your best friend will be to learn that you've failed," she hissed at him, pointing her finger menacingly.

"Shut up, you won't do any such thing," Draco grabbed her arm and slammed her against the wall.

"I will, you know I will," Pansy was grinning stupidly, he pulled back his hand to hit her, suddenly someone grabbed his arm and twirled him around then slapped him, hard.

"You pig," Hermione growled lowly then turned and walked off.

Draco looked around the deserted hall once more then walked off back to his room. He had been made head boy simply by grades, he was second only to Hermione and by right it was his. He knew McGonnagal had known he didn't return to Voldemort, he also knew that she was watching him very closely. He had stayed in that dark Forbidden Forest of his nightmares for the longest time. He had stumbled around, tears streaking his dirty face as he finally wizened up, he hadn't gone far in the forest, just stayed on the edges, far from the castle until morning then turned and walked off. He still had money, still had a way of surviving until school started. He had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, hiding out from everyone and everything, not knowing exactly what to do until he got McGonagal's letter and had decided to go back.

He stared up at the enchanted roof of the great hall that night at dinner, he still ate with the Slytherins, nobody spoke to him, mostly out of fear. That was the first time Pansy had spoken to him and it was crazy to think he was actually getting lonely. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table then to the Hufflepuffs, no one looked at him anymore, no one paid him any attention and for a while he actually enjoyed the anonymous feeling that produced. He could walk down the halls, right by the Golden Trio and not even get a dirty look from them. It was like he was suddenly invisible, it was amazing in it's self that nobody had attacked him. Finally he returned to his rooms and collapsed onto the couch of the main common room he shared with Hermione. She spoke to him when she was forced to. Other than that she disappeared from the common room as soon as he walked in or left when he came out of his rooms for classes.

When they were in classes together, she sat with her friends while he sat alone, in the corner, away from everyone. He never spoke to anyone and they obviously didn't speak to him. It was a weird feeling, to look around the room and see the same people yet they were all different. Dumbledore's death had changed everyone and you could see it, smell it and feel it as you sat there. Draco opened his eyes as Hermione walked into the common room, she stopped behind the couch, hesitating for a moment before turning and walking into her room.

"You pig," whispered through his mind as he looked over at the merry fire in the huge fireplace. He wanted to tell her that she was right, he was just a pig, a scared ghost, a whisper of the person he once was. But he'd rather be a ghost pig than the person he was before.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco finally got up and walked into his bedroom that was decorated in elegant silvers and greens. He pulled off his robes to reveal a dark green sweater and dark blue jeans, he looked around and spotted the open window in the corner he walked over and sat down on the sill. He knew he was a horrible person but when you're a horrible person, it's hard to live with the knowledge. He looked up at the twinkling stars and sighed. It was common knowledge that Draco Malfoy was everything evil, he was a man whore, a torturer, a Death Eater. He liked to think he did all these things to bring happiness to someone. Whether it was his father or those desperate girls like Pansy herself who just wanted to touch something they thought was beautiful.

He wasn't beautiful, he was ugly. Draco looked up and focused on his reflection in the window, he may be beautiful on the outside but the inside was rotten, a decayed corpse of a person just dying to crawl itself to the surface. He felt dead and so he lived his life, he looked around and noticed a small box next to him. Inside was a small mouse…

"Just do it Draco," Lucius hissed, Draco looked down on the squirming fluff ball in his fist.

"Hurry up before it gets loose," Lucius crossed his arms above his son. Draco finally sat the mouse down and cast all three forbidden curses on the poor mouse. By the end of it Draco was crying inside, feeling like he deserved to join the mouse in it's pain, in it's death. Draco left the mouse there and followed his father to the dungeons where Draco daily helped his father torture different people during the summer. When he returned to the room, he had conjured up a small black lacquered box and laid the dead mouse in it then magically sealed it-

"Why were you going to hit her?" Hermione asked from the doorway, Draco snapped around, looking at the noble statue standing in the bright light flowing in from the common room.

"What's it to you Granger?" Draco growled, picking up the box and tossing it in his top dresser drawer then slammed it closed.

"Why hurt her?" Hermione pursued, Draco finally stood before her, his own arms crossed.

"She's just a dirty little Slytherin, while you're the high and mighty princess of Gryffindor, why even give a shit what I do or what happens to her?" Draco shot back, she shook her head.

"She's still a person but then you never got that lesson when you were growing up. That all people are equal and should be treated as such, tell me, does it feel good to torture helpless muggles? To watch them scream in pain as you cast spell after spell on them, does it satisfy you?" Hermione asked softly, darkly. Draco snarled and stiffened up.

"Get. Out." Draco pointed to the door behind her.

"Something in you gives you the sick pleasure of slamming your fists into bones, hearing them crack. Slice open pink skin, watch the blood pour out-" she continued.

"Stop it," Draco hadn't realized he was walking backwards because she was walking forwards, his back hit his bathroom door and he fumbled with the knob.

"What? I thought you'd like talking about all the conquests you've accomplished," she was smirking evilly. "Talk about all the girls you fu-" she was cut off by the door he slammed in her face. He locked it and turned, the mirror was right in his face, he could see his pale, fear stricken face in it and turned from it, curling up in the corner. He couldn't believe this was happening, that Hermione had actually come into his room. In some way he was glad she had acknowledged him instead of looking straight through him to the wall behind him. Treated him like a shadow or a piece of furniture in the corner. But he was breathing so raggedly and he felt horrible, the smell of blood rising in his nostrils from his past memories. He gagged and finally crawled over to the toilet, throwing up into it.


	3. Chapter 3

He stumbled to his bed and collapsed into it, curling up under the covers and looking around at the empty room. Finally he fell asleep, when he awoke it was to the nibbling of his owl at his ear. He twitched away from her then blinked open his eyes to the black owl staring widely at him. He slowly sat up slid his hand down the downy soft feathers then took the letter from her, rummaging at the same time through his bedside drawer to get something to eat for her. He finally handed her a treat and opened the letter. It was his mother, she had escaped to some far off country, Africa somewhere and was safe for now. He ran his hand down the flowing, girlish script that had come from his own mother's hand and then lightly set it down on the table, getting up and peeling off his clothes from yesterday, pulling on his robe and walking over to his bathroom. He froze, blood covered the walls of his bathroom and TRAITOR was blaring in messy letters over his bathtub. He stumbled back and slammed the door closed. He looked around hurriedly but no one was there. He then frowned darkly and stormed to Hermione's door. He banged loudly on it and waited, it was Saturday, early and he knew she was still sleeping. She groggily opened her door, still rubbing at her eyes.

"How could you? I thought you were above it," Draco shouted at her, she blankly stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked quietly. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her to his bathroom, opening the door on the crimson decorated room. She blinked around the room, looking utterly shocked.

"What the hell?" She breathed, stopping at the bathtub.

"You mean you didn't do it?" Draco asked.

"No, why would I do something like this?" Hermione asked. Draco went white, his hands started to shake as he walked backward, he shook his head, feeling his lips go numb as he felt bile rise in his throat again but he choked it back.

"Look, use my bathroom for the morning, I'll go get McGonagal," she pushed him lightly towards her room. He looked at her skeptically before disappearing into her bathroom. When he came out McGonagal was standing in their common room.

"Who do you think could have done something like that?" She had asked him, he shrugged.

"Who else but one of the Slytherins?" Draco murmured, she nodded and finally left. Hermione had already left to go study in the library and he was left there alone. He walked into his room and sat down, staring at the ground before him. He finally got up and went down to the Quidditch pitch for some laps to clear his head and calm him down. It was still early enough that nobody was practicing yet.

When he came back after lunch, there was somebody sitting in his arm chair by his window. He stopped, frozen from leaning his broom against a low apothecary table by the door. The boy leaned forward, he had blazing brown eyes and rust red curly hair that reached the bottom of his ears. He was grinning darkly as his fingers steepled before him, they were long, delicate fingers but strong and powerful. Draco always thought Blaise's hands were the best part about him.

"Good afternoon old buddy," Blaise murmured, his eyes following the other as Draco went over to his closet and pulled off his flying robes.

"Have you come to gloat over your stunt?" Draco asked, suddenly he felt Blaise right behind him, a long, bony hand wrapped around his arm. Draco never liked that the other was taller than him.

"You know I couldn't resist after what Ms. Parkinson told me," Blaise breathed in the other's ear. "So tell me dear friend, is that why you've been avoiding your best buddy since school started?" Blaise murmured, his breathe hot in Draco's ear. He almost preferred being ignored to this.

"Seems like everyone else is content with leaving me out of their lives," Draco tried twisting out of the other's grip but Blaise just tightened his hold.

"But not that little mudblood you live with, tell me is she good in bed? I woul-" Draco slammed him elbow into Blaise's stomach, the other choked, letting go as he doubled over.

"I wonder how you got the information of my traitorous deeds out of that little blonde slut, I bet she screamed it as she fake-" Draco caught sight of Hermione in the doorway. She locked eyes with him before turning and quietly walking out.

"You bastard," Blaise hissed, ramming into the other, Draco slammed back against the wall as Blaise pulled back his fist. Draco ducked at the last second and pushed the other back. He fell back on the floor, instantly scrambling to his knees.

"You think you can defeat me?" Draco hissed, slamming his fist into the other's cheek, Blaise went down again. He grabbed a fist of silk maroon hair and pulled back Blaise's head to look into the other's eyes.

"I taught you all you know, without me you're nothing," Draco let the other go and stepped back. "Now get out before I bodily throw you out and don't pull a stunt like that again or you'll regret it for the rest of your insignificant life," Draco hissed. Blaise held his scraped up cheek as he hurried out of the room, he heard the common room door slam in the distance. He then turned and went into his cleaned up bathroom to bandage his bleeding knuckles.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stared at him as he was reading a book in the common room. It was night time after dinner and she hadn't said anything to him all day, for that matter she hadn't said anything to him before yesterday and now she almost wished she hadn't said anything even then. She also had a book open in her lap but it had been on the same page for a while now. It seemed like he wasn't the person she had first thought him to be. She got a clue when she heard him throwing up the night before and then even more when he had defended her, actually defended her to Blaise. He didn't go on to lie about how he did sleep with her, in fact he smashed Blaise's pretty face in. She saw the damage as Blaise ran out the door.

"You've been staring at me for the past hour. Am I really that revolting?" Draco said, not looking up from his book, Hermione hurriedly returned to her book, curling up even more.

"Sorry," she mumbled unconsciously. Draco sighed and stretched, she found herself stare at his wiry frame, the smooth ivory skin where his shirt had ridden up from his stomach. He looked back at her and she instantly looked away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"You don't seem to be eating that much," she said, trying to recover.

"What does it matter to you if I starve myself to death. It would probably be a blessing to you if I died," Draco got up and dropped the heavy book on the coffee table. Hermione jumped at the noise, snapping her eyes back on the other. His grey silver eyes drilling into hers. She blinked and looked away again. He walked away to his room and slammed the door behind him. She looked down on the book, it was a book on muggle studies.

Draco found himself at his window again, staring out on the peaceful night, trying to clear his head once more. It had been so full that he hadn't noticed the months pass and they were already into mid November, the air had a bite to it but it helped cool his fiery brain. He realized suddenly that he hadn't had anyone in his bed since last school year. Some Ravenclaw, he had already forgotten her name. He just had no desire for any of the things he used to do. He didn't see the point in it anymore. He leaned back against the frame and rest his hand on the cold glass. He wanted to just slip out of the window and fall all the way to the ground but something startled him out of those thoughts.

Hermione had gone back to her room and had sat down on her bed. She curled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. She wanted to say something to him but she didn't know what to say. He seemed so deep in his own misery, like he was punishing himself for what he had done and she knew how bad that could go. When you blame yourself for all the bad things in the world, it gets more twisted than someone else doing the same thing. You see through those eyes of yours, they can trick you if you let them. Her eyes lighted on her guitar sitting in the corner. She finally got up and walked over to it, she pulled it out of it's case and walked over to her amp that was on the other side. She needed something loud in this oppressive silence. She turned up the volume and rummaged through her pockets for a pick. Finally she started jamming, her electric guitar had always been her best friend and this was the first year she had it up here with her.

Draco stopped at the entrance to Hermione's room staring at her as she stood there, her back to him as she played one rock ballad after the other. Her long honey color silk hair flowed forward over her shoulder as she half turned towards him. It was a dark dull gray color and the amp was small but it seemed like she had played for a very long time. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms, letting himself listen to her, if only for a little while. She suddenly felt eyes on her and turned to him, her fingers stumbled and she stopped, silently staring at him.

"Hello…" she finally said, he smiled slightly.

"Didn't know you played," Draco gestured to her guitar.

"Nobody does, I haven't been able to bring it up until this year," she replied. "Do you know how to play anything?" She asked.

"Piano…violin, bass guitar, cello, anything with strings but only classical, nothing like that," Draco answered, she nodded and turned to her amp, switching it off.

"Sorry for disturbing you, I just needed to get some frustrations out," she turned back to him, he was suddenly right in front of her.

"It has a soothing quality," he breathed, searching her pretty face then finally found himself drowning in her hazel eyes. He found that his hand had reached up and was lightly running through her straight smooth hair, he was fascinated on how it had changed over the years from it's original roughness to this touchably soft liquid honey. He watched as his hand ventured deeper into the soft mass and up to the back of her neck where her most sensitive hairs were located. Her hand had come up and tightened around his arm, he looked back into her face.

"No," she took a step back, pulling his hand from her. He also took a step back, folding his hands behind his back.

"I'm sorry, truly," Draco made a slight unconscious bow and turned to leave. She watched him go, he even softly shut her door behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco paced his room, back and forth, back and forth. He couldn't deny that he was deprived, hell that was an understatement, he had touched Hermione Granger, played with her hair even. He needed to wake up from this dream he found himself in. It was dangerous and he couldn't live in it forever. Blaise had offered his apologizies and wanted to right everything again. Pansy had been taken out of school, with the growing disappearances, it wasn't a surprise, there were barely any Slytherins left to begin with. They had mostly been swallowed up by the Dark Lord along with him also, he stopped at the window and looked down onto his arm, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. Snape had reported him dead, a casualty to the night and he had never felt that burning pain from it again. His life was getting back to some semblance of normality. He found himself raising his hand again, flirting with girls in the halls, running off with Blaise to Hogsmeade…it felt so good to just be like he was back in his fifth year. There was shouting outside his room and he opened his door a crack.

"I don't want you to go," Harry was screaming at Hermione.

"I am not some little girl you can protect all the time, I can hold my own, I have so far," she spat back.

"Please," Harry looked tired as he stared at Hermione, she shook her head slowly.

"You just don't want to lose me like Sirius," Hermione breathed. Harry looked away from her.

"Is Ron going?" Hermione pressed.

"No, he's staying here," Harry replied, gaining his anger once more.

"You're going to get yourself killed if you don't let us come with you," Hermione returned heatedly.

"You don't understand, there's other things you need to do, you can't just come with me on this one," Harry explained.

"Harry-" she reached towards him but he jerked away from her suddenly.

"No touching remember?" He hissed at her.

"Don't do this," she breathed, she could feel her heart breaking again.

"Do what? You don't understand, you've never understood. Everyone close to me dies, there's nothing to change that, it's my curse and you have made it clear that it would benefit the both of us if we stayed away from each other," Harry growled, his arms crossing.

"But I don't-" she broke off and shook her head sharply. "Please let me go with you," she switched back to the original topic.

"Just stay here," he growled back.

"You know I wont," Hermione replied, a smile suddenly appearing on her face.

"You have to," he shouted back.

"You can't make me," she replied.

"You won't even know where you're going. You can't follow us and it would be futile to try, Ron already knows that. It would be best if you did the same," Harry growled darkly.

"I love you…like a friend, you know I want to share in the same danger, no matter the consequences," Hermione softly said. Harry let a tear roll down his cheek, he shook his head and turned to leave.

"Harry, Harry!" She called after him but he had already slammed the door behind him. She sighed and flopped down onto the couch, curling up on it. Draco finally ventured out then found himself sitting down across from her, she was staring off into space then snapped back when she saw him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked quietly, looking down onto his hand then to her, she shrugged and slowly straightened up.

"What is there to tell? Harry and I had a relationship over the summer, it ended badly. There's nothing more to tell," she answered.

"I think there is, you two are best friends, shared every adventur-" he started.

"Except the one over the summer…" she trailed off.

Hermione stared out over the dark sunset, waiting for them to return to the Burrow. They had been gone for way too long and when they finally did return, Harry was almost dead. He had been carried in and taken to an upstairs room. It was hard to look at his pale, greenish face as he lay in that bed, murmuring his nightmares in his sleep. Nobody had told her what had happened, nobody had asked her to come. She was infuriated but she didn't show it until Harry got better and started walking around, almost back to his old self.

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Hermione asked as they sat out on the back porch.

"It was a spur of the moment thing, I had to leave and I couldn't bring very many people with me," Harry had answered.

"Yet you managed to take Ron with you," Hermione pointed out.

"He was in the same room with me, I couldn't not take him," Harry answered, his hooded green eyes turning on her. They weren't the same, they were dark and angry but also sad and in terrible pain and misery.

"Do you love me, Harry?" Hermione breathed.

"Of course I do," Harry pulled her hand into his own.

"Do you truly love me or is it just a deep friendship?" She pressed, he frowned darkly.

"Hermione, I love you, what more do you want?" He asked her, staring into her eyes.

"You're afraid to get close to me," she breathed.

"It's a curse, 'Mione, I can't get too close to anyone or they will die, look what happened to my parents, to Sirius, to Dumbledore," Harry shook his head, his eyes sliding away from her.

"You don't believe that," Hermione tried to catch his eyes but it was useless.

"You don't know what it's like to be me, to be hunted every moment of your life because you survived, because you should have died but didn't," Harry growled, his eyes hardening.

"You're right," Hermione pulled away from him, he looked up at her.

"Please understand," Harry asked.

"I understand that you don't want to see me anymore. Don't ever touch me again Harry Potter," she growled and stormed back into the house.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco was staring again, it seemed like his favorite past time currently. The Winter Ball was coming up and he was slightly nervous about it because it was a masked affair. The colors were going to be done in black and baby blue with sparkling stars floating around the dancers. The prefects had already figured everything out and he couldn't decide on who to take. He had already gotten a couple more notches in his bedpost and was contemplating whether to go after another one for this special event. It would be nice to have that pretty Gryffindor sixth year that had been eyeing him lately on his arm but then again he should take a Slytherin and there was a sexy new fifth year that had come back from fall break with more umph to her image. He was snapped out of his musings by Blaise who was looking to him for the answer to some question. Draco stood up from his place at the Slytherin table, slinging his bag onto his shoulder and gazing around at his subjects. He was suddenly filled with disgust of them and of himself.

"I'll get back to you on that Blaise," Draco answered finally and walked off.

He was suddenly pushed into a side corridor and into a deserted classroom. The door slammed behind him and he spun around to come face to face with none other than the almighty queen of honor, Hermione Granger. She had crossed her arms over her ample chest and was currently eyeing him with all sorts of rage. She was lightly tapping her foot and was waiting for him to start.

"Good morning Granger, lovely to see you as usual," Draco straightened up.

"Cut the bullshit Malfoy. I probably should have set up rules before now but I didn't think it necessary until now," she growled.

"Rules?" He murmured, adjusting his bag.

"Yes, rules," she hissed, storming towards him. "No letting your Slytherin friends into my rooms, no loud noises in the middle of the night, no leaving your mess in the common room and no fucking when I'm right next DOOR!" she screamed, her hands balled up into tight fists at her sides, her face a deep shade of scarlet and her lips in a thin straight line of deeper red.

"Sure, next time I'll make sure and invite you," Draco waved her away but she didn't budge, impossibly she seemed to get even more enraged.

"You think this is a joke? That you can just boss me around and do whatever the hell fuck you want to?" She was screaming again. He had taken a step back from her during this.

"I do live there to if you hadn't noticed, I have every right to do what I want to," Draco replied darkly.

"Not when you're hindering my rights to live there also, in PEACE," she growled.

"What do you want me to do, Granger? Stop breathing for you? Maybe that'll make you happy? To just disappear and never return?" He shouted back at her.

"Fuck you," she said, crossing her arms.

"Well right back at you. And if that's an offer I'll be happy to take you up on it, in hell!" He was now fully worked up. "You self righteous little bitch, you think that it matters what happens anymore? We're all going to die anyway. The Dark Lord will kill you just for being Harry Pothead's best friend and me for not coming back to him. Don't you dare even think for one second that you are going to live through till your next birthday because I've seen what that fucker can do!" Draco shouted, pointing past her.

"How can you be so pessimistic? Harry has been able to defeat Voldemort in every attack he's made! We can fight this, and win! Don't you see? Don't you understand? You're just as bad as Harry, always thinking the world is going to drop onto your head and you'll be squashed beyond recognition along with everyone around you," she shook her head at him.

"Fine, you want me to lay off, I will. I can go back to being the shadow I once was. Constantly staying in my room, alone with nothing but my own rotten thoughts to keep me company. I hate myself, Hermione, I can't stand being inside my head, having to deal with all the things I've done. You don't know what it's like because you've been a pristine little mudblood your entire life, sheltered from all the ugliness in the world," Draco growled lowly.

"You really think that's true? Let me enlighten your majesty then," and before she knew what she was doing she was rolling up her sleeve to reveal long jagged scars running down the inside of her arm, from her arm pit to her elbow. She heard his intake of breathe and snapped back to what exactly she was doing. She instantly pulled back down her sleeve and turned away from him but he had grabbed her arm, the other one which hurt. She hissed in pain and crumbled away from his touch, he instantly let go like he had been burned.

"You're still doing it?" He asked her, walking around to look into her eyes and block her exit.

"What do you care? Don't you have some girl to go conquer?" She couldn't believe she actually sounded hurt that time. She shook her head and tried to push past him.

"Hermione, please, don't walk away from me," he asked quietly as she finally made it past him. She stopped and waited for him to say something.

"I promise I won't let anyone into the rooms and I won't leave my mess everywhere," he murmured, she nodded and opened the door.

"Thank you," she whispered before disappearing out of it.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco was up on the Quidditch pitch, flying along the bitter cold updrafts by himself. This is where he belonged, up in the air away from everyone else. This is where he felt free. He looked down at the Ravenclaw team that was gathering for their practice. He finally flew off to another part of the grounds and landed next to the lake. He looked around then finally settled down next to the slightly frozen lake. It was crystal blue with long arms of ice running out towards the middle. He wanted to just stay here forever, it wasn't like he had never stayed out all night, sleeping on bus benches and walking along the dark alleys of the muggle world. He used to love the feeling of looking into a person's face and not seeing some sort of recognition. He leaned forward and slowly ventured out onto the skittish ice, his weight spread out as he pulled himself along with just his arms, feeling along the ice for a hand hold. He finally got to the edge and looked down into the icy depths of the lake. Suddenly he heard his name and looked up, the ice cracked below him and he took a deep breathe before the ice gave and he plunged into the cold, cold waters. He blinked open his eyes and found himself face to face with a pretty mermaid. She tilted her head slightly in curiosity, he tried swimming away from her but his limbs were already numbing up from the cold, he wasn't moving at all. She slowly reached towards him, her webbed blue fingers looked so fascinating to his numbed brain. Suddenly someone grabbed him and pulled him to the surface, he took a deep breathe as the air hit his face. He could barely feel it but he also couldn't feel much else.

"What the hell were you thinking?" A voice filtered into his brain as he felt a hard surface underneath him. He looked up into honey hazel eyes and blinked once then twice. Hermione asked him something else but he couldn't hear her, only see her. She finally disappeared and he felt himself being levitated to the infirmary. Sometime during the journey he fell asleep.

When he woke up again he was warm and in a comfortable bed, he looked around at the deserted hospital wing and sat up slowly. Hermione was dozing in a chair next to him, he smiled slightly, delighted that she actually stayed by him. He rubbed his arm and realized there looked to be a bruise on it the shape of a hand print with webs between the fingers. He hadn't realized the mermaid had touched him and in the freezing water, her skin must have burned him the way dry ice does. Hermione groaned from her place and straightened up, rubbing at her neck.

"Good, you're awake," Hermione commented, slowly looking up at him.

"Thank you for saving me," He murmured.

"Contrary to what you keep saying, I do care if you died Malfoy," Hermione said, smiling softly.

"When will I get out of this place?" Draco asked.

"You're not the first who's fallen into the lake during the winter months, Madame Pomfrey said you can leave when you awake. She's already given you the necessary medicine for you to recover from the shock of ice cold water plus you weren't in there for very long," Hermione got up and help him out of bed. He followed her out and then up to their rooms. Draco shut his door quietly when they got there and went over to his closet to change out of his dirty clothes. They may have been dry but they were caked with the dirt from the lake.

A few days later he was in class when he looked around at his classmates, everyone was paying attention to Flitwick's lecture so he slowly pulled up his sleeve to reveal the mermaid's touch on him. It had impossibly grown in size or maybe it was his imagination. He had a feeling Madame Pomfrey missed this when she was helping him recover from the frozen lake. He hoped it was his imagination that the print was getting bigger, he couldn't find anything in the library on it and didn't know really what to do. He had completely forgotten about the Winter Ball until Hermione had said something about it that morning before heading out to breakfast. It was painful to touch but nothing too unbearable. He glanced over and found Hermione staring wide eyed at the black bruise on his arm. He hurriedly slid his sleeve down and locked eyes with her. She tilted her head questioningly but he just looked back to the front, feeling her eyes still on him.

An owl swooped down on him the next day during lunch and he pulled the little note wrapped around its leg and opened it up. It was from Hermione, he had been steadily avoiding her since advanced charms and she had finally given up, sent him a message instead. She wanted to talk to him that night. He looked up at the Gryffindor table but she was already gone.

That night he came home really, really late and silently walked into his room. He switched on the light to his room and there she was, sleeping in his armchair by the window. He walked over to her and looked down on her, wondering why the moon looked so good running over her hair, why her skin looked so perfect under that same glow. She looked like a sweet angel sleeping there, lit up by the light of purity. She slowly blinked her eyes open and looked up at him, a smile lighting onto her face as she stretched.

"Did you think I would give up that easily?" She asked him groggily, leaning back into his chair. He sat down on the bed across from her.

"What is there to talk about?" He asked her, she shrugged.

"Why didn't you go back to the hospital wing for that," she pointed to his arm with the bruise on it.

"I don't know, I didn't have time?" He smiled slightly.

"Bullshit, let me see it," she got up and walked towards him, he pulled his arm in close to himself and shook his head. She couldn't help but smile at his childishness then grabbed his wrist and forcefully pulled it out then slid his sleeve back to reveal it. It looked so black and horrendous, like a blot on his ivory delicate skin.

"It must be painful," she murmured, touching the skin around it, he shrugged.

"Pain doesn't bother me," he replied, she tutted and pulled out her wand, murmuring an incantation. A light green glow emanated from it and she frowned darkly.

"This is a magical wound, it will only get worse instead of heal up," she told him, looking up into his eyes.

"I've already tried to find some way of taking care of it myself. The mermaid down in the lake touched me," he explained.

"Mermaids don't burn you with just their touch," Hermione pointed out.

"But it could be that her body temperature was so cold that she burned me…you know like dry ice," he looked up at her, she shook her head.

"Then it would have started healing by now," Hermione replied.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Madame Pomfrey would kill me if I went back now because I didn't point it out when I got out of there last time."

"Yes but it would better than having this thing spread over your entire body," she argued.

"I can't, I can find something to heal it, I know I can," Draco murmured.

"Not by yourself obviously," she growled, letting his arm go.

"I can take care of myself," Draco rolled his sleeve down.

"No, that's the point, you can't or you would have had this thing fixed by now. But since you're so stubborn I'll help you find something to at least stop it from spreading, I might have the perfect spell for it to. I've been reading up on things like that in my Med book," she turned and went off to her room, when she returned she was carrying a heavy volume.

"Alright, let's see," she sat down on his bed and pulled her legs up to support the book in her lap, flipping through the glossy pages. It was her personal text book and it looked to have cost a lot. He leaned over her shoulder and watched as the pictures went by. Finally she stopped at the chapter for cold water magical infections. She slid a couple more pages over and stopped at the page outlining the spell. She studied it for a while before pulling his arm forward, scrapping it against the book and he hissed. She didn't notice as she pulled his sleeve up again and grabbed her wand then murmured the words. Soon the spell absorbed into this skin and he blacked out instantly.

He was staring at the mermaid, she had clouded eyes and long white hair. She was blindly staring at him but he could tell she knew where he was. Her baby blue scales ran down her tail and ended in a delicate but powerful fin. She had heavy breasts and a trim waist with delicate arms. She looked so pretty, so very pretty as she slowly moved towards him. She was smiling mysteriously at him then she opened her mouth, it gaped open like a black hole in her face then he saw the row of sharp teeth framing it. He wanted desperately to get away from her, she was going to bite him, he could feel it and as he felt a hand drag him up, he also felt her hand grab onto him but she wasn't strong enough to hold him down with her. She then snapped at his leg, searing pain went up from his calf and he woke up, sitting straight up in bed, panting heavily. He looked over and Hermione was sitting on his bed, she had tucked him in under the covers. Pain rolled out from his left leg and he dug his fingernails into his knee, right above where the pain was coming from. She pulled the covers away from it and he moved, exposing the small bite at the back of his leg that he hadn't noticed at all.

"What does it mean?" Draco asked, hysterics rising in his voice, she looked up at him.

"I don't know," Hermione said clearly.

"You've been bitten by a very powerful mermaid. I'm surprised you are not dead," Madame Pomfrey said, pacing at the end of his bed in the hospital wing.

"Why wasn't there any pain before? Why did I forget about her biting me?" Draco asked.

"Because she didn't want you to remember, she wanted her hold on you to grow until you either died from that growing bruise on your arm or until you turned into a merman yourself if you actually survived from the poison. She has never bitten anyone before. She's been there in that lake for eons and has never bitten anyone at all," Pomfrey explained, stopping and leaning over the bed railing.

"Then how come there are so many other merpeople in the lake?" Hermione spoke up.

"Merpeople aren't usually made like a werewolf. They are a species unto themselves, they breed and have colonies, families…" she answered.

"What can I do?" Draco asked.

"We can stop the process and possibly reverse it since we caught it on such short notice. If Hermione hadn't of done that spell on you, you would be in serious trouble. I checked you when you came in for any signs of this but didn't see any. The bruise must not have had enough time to appear and the bite must have just appeared last night. Magical bites can take time to appear, sometimes they don't appear at all," Pomfrey explained.

"I'll be needing help," Pomfrey looked to Hermione.

"Of course, anything," Hermione straightened in her chair, Pomfrey nodded and looked to Draco. "You are a very extra-ordinary being Mr. Malfoy," she mused then turned and walked off back to her office with Hermione trailing after.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco looked down on the lake forlornly, both Hermione and Madame Pomfrey had done their worst on him and he currently aching everywhere, even his skin ached. He felt like maybe he should have just died, it would be great to actually become a ghost instead of imitate one. Harry had been gone for the past week and he could tell everyone was worried, even the teachers were worried. The Winter Ball was tomorrow night and it was the middle of Winter Break. No new news from his mother and the mermaid that was the cause to his current woe hadn't been seen since she bite him. His bruised arm was finally starting to heal, the edges were a sickly green and yellow color which was supposedly a good sign. The bite on his leg had zapped any sort of strength from that area of his body and he hadn't been anywhere except slow trips to the lake everyday. Madame Pomfrey had told him he needed to stretch out his leg and get it used to walking again without the magical poison in his veins. He wanted to scream, he felt it like a bubble crawling up from his stomach and into his throat when he caught sight of a ripple in the smooth mirror surface of the lake. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing on the still unfrozen part. Slowly a head appeared and then shoulders, it was her, the blind mermaid.

"So you are alive," she breathed, her voice was metallic and liquid, not to mention hard to understand.

"Yeah, we found out what you were trying to do to me," Draco replied, she nodded, searching the waters around her then looked back at him with those disconcerting cloudy eyes.

"So you won't join me, you would rather walk on the ground with the other humans. Die like them, partake in their wars, be one of them when you could have been with me. An immortal untouched by anything. You would never have to worry about anything," she told him silkily, Draco frowned darkly.

"You sound like you're still offering," Draco said, she smiled slowly.

"Of course, the offer is always open…you are an exceptional person, Draco," she breathed, her hands resting on the edge of the ice.

"How do you know my name?" Draco asked her.

"I know you, I have been inside your head. When they healed my bite, they took me out of your mind but I still remember everything. How much you have endured, how much you have seen. You've looked into the evil red eyes of this 'Dark Lord' that plagues your people now and you have triumphed against him. You rose from the ground that he slammed you into and you defy him even now. He wanted you to fail, wanted to get rid of you because your father failed. You see I could look through all of your memories, run them back and forth, analyze them. I can help you escape, don't you want that? To leave all of that behind and never have to worry about anything ever again? To be invisible?" She had such a soft, strong voice that was like a warm, seductive breathe in his ear. He shook himself out of her spell and stood up with difficulty.

"I'm crippled currently, how does that make me invisible?" Draco growled, she suddenly reached forward and touched his shoe. He stumbled back away from her, landing on his butt, far from the shore. She had sunk down so just her eyes were showing over the ice.

"You are still apart of me even if they've stopped your change…" he could still hear her and realized she could speak to him in his head. "Even if you refuse me this time, next time you won't," she then turned and disappeared without even a ripple. He shook his head and got up slowly and realized he was better. His legs felt even energized, he pulled up his sleeve and the bruise was gone like it had never been there. He stared at the black water for a while before turning and actually running back to the castle.

He ran up the stairs and burst into the common room, Hermione looked up from her book, startled. He ran over to her as she stood up, he picked her up and twirled her about, laughing. She was tightly gripping his neck, almost scared at this turn of events. He then sat her down and looked deep into her eyes.

"If I was invisible, I wouldn't be able to see you ever again…to touch you," Draco said, his hand running through her hair. She blinked, breaking the spell and pulling away from him, she wrapped her arms around herself self consciously.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" She asked him, taking another step back from him.

"What happened! I'll tell you, she healed me…she gave me back my strength and look," Draco pulled up his sleeve revealing his gleaming ivory arm, unblemished.

"Who? The mermaid? Are you sure that's a good thing? She might have started the chang-" Hermione argued, a cold vein of fear suddenly slicing through her.

"No, no, she didn't. You did your job well enough. The only way she can do that is if she bit me again. She took back the poison completely and I'm well…I can go to the Winter Ball tomorrow night…wait! I haven't even gotten robes to wear to it!" Draco turned and dashed to his room. He changed into something for going shopping and reappeared, Hermione hadn't move that entire time, she just stared at him.

"I'll see you later then," Draco waved as he walked out the door. She collapsed onto the overstuffed armchair behind her and blinked down onto the book she had been reading. The Properties of Mermaid Head Priestesses was the title. Madame Pomfrey had let her borrow it. A Head Priestess picks a consort every thousand years and once chosen, that consort is completely under her power. Only true love can break her hold because only a soul mate can bring the chosen back from her spell. It didn't make sense that the head priestess let Draco go, let him live on land but then again she could just be waiting until he comes back willingly. Everything's always easier when the subject chooses to go along with the plans.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco was finally ready, he had pulled on his dark grey metallic mask and looked around for his top hat. The major theme was to imitate the Faery Court which suited him just fine. He was given a black invitation which meant he was part of the Unseelie Court and the invite that was attached to Hermione's door was silver so she was part of the Seelie Court. The Seelies were the good fae and the unseelie were the evil fae. It was all in good fun but he couldn't help smiling at the dark gray metallic robes he wore with long black gossamer wings flowing down his back. He then turned to the door and walked out and down to the Great Hall. He wanted to become completely anonymous tonight so he left later than everyone else so he wouldn't be noticed when he slipped in. He couldn't help his jaw dropping at the sight of the Great Hall. It was absolutely gorgeous, ambient music was playing from the stage and nature sounds floated like a soft background around the room. Harmless silver transparent globes that emanated soft white light floated around everywhere, lighting up the either black or white masks of the dancers. Everyone also had either silver or black wings twitching from their backs.

One of the globes floated near him and he reached up, his hand went straight through it like it was air. He grinned, this was what magic was for, to evoke wonder and awe of it's unexplainable occurrence. He walked deeper into the crowd and found himself surrounded by unseelie girls. They were giggling and one or two of them asked to dance with him. He had been too busy with the mermaid thing to ask someone to go with him so he had just gone by himself and he was suddenly glad he did. He picked the one with long curling wings tipped with deep purple and a shiny black half mask to reveal full red lips, she grinned beautifully at him as he followed her out onto the dance floor. She had silk ivory arms with dark metal arm bracelets on her upper arms, each shaped into a snake. It gave him a clue that she was a Slytherin, not to mention the snake shaped necklace she wore around her shapely neck. Her skirt was connected to her finger so when the clasped hands, her long black silk dress flowed in a half circle around them as they moved. Slowly the music faded and they bowed to eachother. He offered her something to drink and she nodded, following him to one of the punch stands. He suddenly stopped, there, next to the window.

She had long honey colored hair pulled up at the back of her head with heavy curls flowing down her back. Small globes of light were nestled among them and her silver transparent wings moved back and forth gracefully, they were shaped like a butterfly's with two major ones on top and two smaller ones curling underneath. The back of her dress was open in the back to reveal the wings actually growing out of her back and her back was so well sculpted. Her dress was a shimmering white that hugged her hips and thighs then flared out dramatically into a long trail behind her. Laces criss crossed down from right under the wings to the floor and ended in a star burst of a delicate nest of silver and white silk ribbons that spanned out in a half circle behind her, extending out past the trail. She was holding a delicate crystal glass with a fluted rim of silver. Her hands were delicately nimble as they held her glass. He only saw a quarter of her profile but it was the very definition of beautiful. Her jaw line was strong but delicate at the same time and her ear was small with five silver small hoops dangling from it, a sixth at the bottom held a long earring with a small silver dragon dangling from it. A pulse from the stage went through him and then another as a deep beat was set. He left the other girl and walked straight towards her. His eyes fully set on her when suddenly McGonagall appeared before him. He looked up at her, she was in a rust red gown with a deep red mask on that hid her entire face. Her grayish hair was pulled back and the gown was in expensive looking velvet with velvet black gloves.

"Mr. Malfoy I must speak with you for a moment," she said, Draco nodded and she started off towards a small table with two chairs, Draco took a last glance to where she was but she was already gone.

Hermione sighed and returned to her table with Ron. He was slouching, his mask on the table. He had come in a dark grey dress robe and dark grey wings that were white around the edges, white also crawled up from the hem of his robes. Hermione had helped charm his old ones into what they were now which weren't to shabby. His long dark red hair was left down around his freckled ivory face. He was staring down on his crystal glass. The unseelie court were given black crystal glasses. She slowly sat down on the stool before him and sat her glass delicately on the glass round table.

"I don't see why I had to come," Ron grumbled to her. Ever since Harry had left, Ron was getting more and more sour as the days went by. That meant he was getting more and more worried.

"Because you have to get out of your room. You spend too much time there and the Quidditch pitch, almost as much as Dra-Malfoy does," Hermione scolded, he made a sour expression and looked away.

"So? It's better than listening to everyone gossip about things," He mumbled lowly. She got up suddenly.

"Put back on your mask, you are going to dance with me Ronald Weasley," Hermione demanded, glaring at him. Ron looked at her like she had suddenly gone crazy.

"Why don't you go dance with some other bloke? I bet all of them are dying to dance with you," Ron replied finally. Hermione picked up his dark grey mask and shoved it into his hands then pulled him up off of the stool.

"You know I don't like to dance 'Mione," Ron whined, she crossed her arms and waited impatiently. Finally he sighed and put back on his mask and was then dragged out to the dance floor.

Draco was staring at the Headmistress like she had just grown another head. She had taken off her dark red porcelain looking mask and laid it on the table between them.

"Does Hermione or Weasley know yet?" Draco asked softly.

"No, Lupin thought it better to wait before informing them. He's coming tomorrow night to tell them. We thought you might have some ideas on where to look," she answered.

"You could look into all the places of the world and still probably never find Harry Potter," Draco murmured, looking down on his tightly clasped hands.

"Please, search your mind Draco, you must have a clue where he might have been carried off to," she pleaded, suddenly Draco's head snapped up.

"Of course! My father's dungeons at our country house. He once gloated that, that place would be the final resting place of Harry Potter. The Dark Lord had promised my father that he would get to torture him before killing him," Draco exclaimed, McGonagall stood up abruptly.

"Thank you Draco," she turned to leave.

"Wait, you can't just barge in plus no one knows where our country house is. I'll have to give you directions and specific instructions on how to actually get into the dungeons," Draco stood up after her, she nodded and he followed her out. It took a while but finally he had gotten everything down on paper and was allowed to return to the Ball since he was of no further use. He went back and searched for that girl that had captured his complete attention earlier. He walked all over the place but couldn't find her until suddenly the globes brightened considerably and someone appeared on the stage.

"Witches and wizards of Hogwarts, now has come the time to crown our Queen and King of the Faery Courts!" He announced, applause went up everywhere.

"You've all voted and now you'll all find out who they are," He was handed a small white envelope and he opened it up.

"The Queen of our Seelie Court is…right over there!" He pointed and a spotlight suddenly appeared over the girl Draco had been searching for. She still had his back to her, she laughed lightly and made her way up to the stage.

"Now, our King of our Unseelie Court is…right over there!" The spotlight suddenly descended on him, he looked around and then finally followed the mystery girl up to the stage. They were positioned on either side of the announcer and crowned. His hat was taken off and a black crown with long points was put on his head. The other was crowned with a frosted white shimmering crown. The announcer then joined their hands and shooed them to the dance floor. Draco wrapped his arm around her small waist. The front of her dress was simple with a long silver chain around her neck and a white half mask. A ring of lighted globes floated around them as they started to dance. The music was calming and slow and weaved in and out of the crowd. She had full heart shaped lips that was curved into a beautiful smile at him. He stared into her eyes and suddenly the world around them vanished, they didn't notice when they started to levitate off the ground and dance above the crowd, everyone had turned and was watching them.

"I've never seen such beauty," Draco breathed, his hand reaching up to touch a heavy golden ringlet that framed her face.

"You say that now, what about when I pull off my mask?" She replied.

"The opinion wouldn't change," he replied.

"No matter if I had an ugly scar running across my forehead and down my cheek?" She asked.

"It wouldn't matter because your lips are untouched," he leaned down and kissed her lightly. They were so soft and electric, he had never felt like that before. Never kissed someone who felt so right, fit so well to his body and lips. Suddenly they heard clapping and looked around. The spell was broken and they fell swiftly to the ground, managing to land more or less on their feet. He looked to her and smiled, she returned it.

"Let's get out of here," Draco offered, she nodded and they walked out. They walked up to a deserted corridor and she opened a door to a room filled with overstuffed armchairs and a merry fire.

"I go here sometimes to think," she murmured, closing the door behind him.

"It's nice," he commented, she then walked to the fire and pulled off her mask, holding it in her hands for a moment as she stared down on the fire.

"I'm almost afraid to show you who I am," she murmured. Draco had also pulled off his own mask and laid both the crown and mask on a small end table.

"Why should you be, I know what I felt when I kissed you, shouldn't matter who you are," Draco walked towards her, she slowly turned around and looked up at him. His heart stopped for a few seconds as he recognized her.

"Hermione?" Draco breathed, shocked, she slowly smiled up at him.

"Yes Draco, it's me," she answered.

"But how?" He asked her, the smile slowly started to waver.

"You were wrong, it does matter who I am," Hermione was now frowning, tears starting to gather in her eyes.

"No, no it doesn't matter at all in fact I'm glad it's you," Draco said quickly, she blinked, this time she was the shocked one.

"Why?" She asked quietly.

"Should that matter? I've finally kissed you, finally got to touch you and I know now that I don't want to touch another," Draco ran his hand down her arm and pulled her hand up to his lips then placed a small kiss on her knuckles.

"You can't mean that," she shook her head, pulling her hand back.

"Why would I lie?" Draco asked her.

"Because you are Draco Malfoy, the Prince of lies. No, you can't mean that and I was a fool to even believe you for a second," she brushed past him. "Good night Mr. Malfoy," she said curtly before shutting the door firmly behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

For the next week he didn't see her. He only heard her door open and close in the middle of the night as she came in late. She was avoiding him and doing a very good job at it. In classes she steadily avoided looking at him, even when he took to just straight staring at her for a full hour, still she didn't look at him. It was like he had suddenly gone back to being invisible to her. The one person he wanted them to notice him and she wouldn't. He took to haunting all her spots, the library, her little sitting room, everywhere, even the little alcove in the green room next to a snapping ivy plant but she picked up and left each time she caught sight of him. He almost felt like a stalker as he followed her from place to place. He wanted to confront her but he didn't know what to say, much less how to keep her from storming off. Harry had come back, a little shaken up but other then that, the same old Harry Potter.

Draco walked along the grounds and found himself in front of the Quidditch pitch and what was there shocked him. Hermione and Harry were in the stands, alone and kissing. It felt like someone had rip out his heart and fed it to him. Like the world had suddenly stopped and Voldemort had swallowed him whole for dinner. He couldn't breathe, didn't want to…He turned and left, escaping from the scene like it was poison.

"Harry…what changed your mind?" Hermione asked, smiling at him.

"I realized that if I'm going to die, I might as well live it first," Harry replied, she nodded and they stood up.

"I guess we should get back, I have class in ten minutes," Hermione murmured, Harry nodded once and they walked back to the castle, hand in hand. After dinner she walked back to her room early, humming to herself as she gave the stone statue of a Pegasus the password and twirled into the common room but stopped when she caught sight of Draco's door. It was open, for the first time in a week, it was actually open.

She slowly walked towards it and looked in to the deserted room then over to the bathroom, he wasn't there. She thought that was odd, he never left his door open, especially when he wasn't there.

"Looking for me?" Draco murmured from the door way.

"Yeah, I was…I want to talk to you about what happened that night at the Winter Ball," Hermione gestured for them to go into the common room. He walked over to the couch and sat down while she sat in the armchair next to it.

"Draco-" she began.

"I saw you with Potter, I thought you two were never going see each other again," Draco interrupted her, she stared at him for a while then looked away.

"He wants to start over, he thinks that maybe we should make the best of our time together…you said it yourself, we're all going to die soon…might as well make the best of it," Hermione explained, Draco stood up, shaking his head.

"No, Hermione…you'll live on. If there's anyone who can survive this war its you because you are strong and smart. You aren't headstrong like Potter, you're not a coward, like me," Draco turned and went to his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Draco! You're not a coward," Hermione knocked on his door. "It took a lot of guts to tell Professor McGonagall where they were keeping Harry…It took a lot to not go back to Voldemort, please, open the door Draco," she called. Draco shook his head, pacing his room.

"Leave me alone," Draco shouted back.

"Not until you talk to me," she replied, he swung open the door, his eyes blazing at her.

"You think you know me. Think that this entire seven years of seeing me everyday gives you a clue on the type of person I am. You and I are two different people, Granger, two completely different people, we shouldn't even be in the same room with each other. All that rubbish about true love saving me from that mermaid…I actually believed you, believed that maybe it would be better to stay here but it's not. Nobody cares about whether I live or die, least of all you," Draco growled then slammed the door in her face. She had handed them the book a couple days ago without saying anything to him.

"Draco…" she breathed, her hand running down the dark wood of his closed door then turned and walked back to her room.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day Draco woke up to a blurry shape at the end of his bed. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes, his father came into view. Draco sat bolt up right in bed, staring at his tall imposing father who had his arms crossed, waiting for his son to wake up.

"Father?" Draco breathed.

"You are coming home now Draco. Enough of this staying here at Hogwarts, I knew I should have made you go to Durmstrang. At least it would have toughened you up a bit," Lucius strode around his bed and dragged him out.

"Get dressed and pack your things. You are not staying another moment in this place," Lucius hissed. Draco stumbled over to his walk in closet and closed the door behind him. He slid down the door and put his head in his hands, trying to think…think about how to escape his father, if he even wanted to…how his father even got into the school. It felt like everything was falling apart around him all the time and nothing to stop it all. Like being the brat he once was, wasn't cutting it and the man he was becoming wasn't ready for the childish tears welling up in his eyes. He hadn't cried in years and he wasn't about to start again. He finally climbed to his feet and started pulling on some clothes.

"You're taking too long!" Lucius yelled, banging on his door.

"I'll be there in just a second," Draco shouted back. He hurriedly tried to think as he rummaged through his clothes, his wand idly flicking things into his open trunk. He wanted to just disappeared into his clothes and come out the otherside where a world free of anything evil was, where he could terrorize the country side and never have to worry about the true evil waiting him beyond that door, beyond even his father. He finally sighed and opened his closet door, Lucius looked about ready to commit murder, Draco averted his eyes and walked past his father.

"How did you get in?" Draco asked, walking over to his writing desk and flicking expensive things in there then indiscreetly burned a message into the wood with his wand.

"Walked right through the front door in the middle of the night. Hurry up, we haven't got all the time in the world," Lucius then turned and stormed out of his room. Draco following after.

When Hermione woke up that morning she smelt a faint burning smell. She snapped fully awake and ran out into the common room but it was deserted and Draco's door was open again. She ran in and looked around, it looked like he had left in a hurry, his bed wasn't made and things were strewn around the carpet. She then noticed a light curl of smoke wafting up from his writing desk in the corner, she walked over and looked down on Draco's flowing script.

"My father has come to get me. Don't try to find me, I can take care of myself. Draco," Was all it said in black letters, she sighed and turned away, throwing up her hands.

"I won't be left out of this adventure," Hermione raised her finger in the air then frowned, puzzled. "Where'd that come from?" She asked her self then shook her head and walked back to her room to get dressed.

"Are you coming to the game today 'Mione?" Harry asked her as she walked down the grand front staircase, she looked puzzled for a second before remembering Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw today in Quidditch, she gave him a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry Harry, luv but I can't come today. I have to go down to Hogsmeade to the book shop today, there's this book coming out and I need to be there or it'll be all sold out. You understand, right Harry?" She patted his arm and walked out the doors leaving a very dumbstruck Harry Potter behind her.

She grabbed a broom from the shed and hurriedly mounted the air, she could have easily apparated but she didn't know where the Malfoys had gone and she didn't know what awaited her at their castle. It was one of the most mysterious castles in the entire world and she didn't just want to go barging into something that could get her killed in three seconds. She flew off towards the Ministry, there she could get directions from Tonks and be on her way.

Draco was pacing around his huge cavern of a room with smooth granite flooring and a colossal four poster bed with a lavish black comforter, small dragons done in dark green lined the hem of it and large dragons were stitched into the pillows. He finally stopped and looked before his mirror.

"Show me my mother," Draco told it, it swirled a grayish color then out of the mists his mother materialized, she was sitting, drinking tea with a couple of her pureblood friends. He wiped it clean disgustedly, she was still in Africa and he guessed even Lucius didn't know where she was or she would have been brought back like he was.

"Hermione," Draco finally said, the mirror swirled and clouded but remained so, Draco frowned darkly. The mirror only failed when the person was traveling or dead or guarded like Harry Potter was. He sighed and wiped it clean again, turning from it. He sat down on his bed just as the door opened. Lucius strode in and stopped on the otherside of the bed.

"We'll see what our Dark Lord does to you now," Lucius was grinning evilly at him.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco had always thought he had gotten off too well whenever he was being punished. He definitely got to see more people writhe under the crutacious curse than feel it's burning, unbearable pain himself. He walked along the corridors to the dungeon after his father. This was definitely going to be an eventful night. The Dark Lord was seated in an old fashioned torture chair made of wood as a half circle of Death Eaters were standing ceremoniously. Draco stood before the Dark Lord, waiting for anything.

"Why did you not return to me, young Malfoy?" He asked, his voice just a dark rasp from the deep hood.

"I couldn't without blowing all chances of staying close to Harry Potter as you requested my Lord," Draco replied, bowing before him.

"Yes, a worthy, logical answer but you didn't even come back to say hello to your dear old master…in fact Snape here reported you dead, killed in the battle to get out after Dumbledore's death," He said, gesturing to one of the masked men around him.

"I was wounded, unconscious my lord…Professor Snape must have thought me dead for I looked it. For the other part, I take full responsibility for not returning your Lordship. I was being watched all the time and found that until recently I had no chance of safely returning to your side," Draco answered calmly. The hood nodded and turned to one of the men next to him.

"All in all you have failed to return to me, for that your punishment must not be let go," the Dark Lord picked up his wand from the hands of the Death Eater and stood. Draco looked up into the depthless hood and then slowly closed his eyes, a calm descended on him from somewhere deep inside of him. He heard the word hiss out of Voldemort's mouth and felt the magic wash over him but it made no effect on him. It was a weird feeling to know you should be feeling some sort of pain but none came in fact when he opened his eyes again, Voldemort was leaning heavily on his chair, panting audibly. Draco frowned slightly, puzzlement flowing over him to replace the calm feeling.

"What happened?" Draco breathed, the hood snapped to him.

"Get him out of here, lock him in his room…don't let him escape," Voldemort ordered. Two Death Eaters bodily dragged him away. He paced around his room for what seemed like hours before a tap came at his bed room window, he looked over and there was an owl seating on the sill. He grinned at let it in.

"Draco, I can only have an invitation to come and get you out of there, please hurry, Hermione," The simple note said, Draco hurriedly grabbed one of the magical invites that were on his black lacquered writing desk and hurriedly jotted an invitation and sealed it magically. He finally let the owl return with his invitation to freedom. He waited impatiently, he didn't know when he would be summoned back to the Dark Lord and he didn't want to stick around to see what else the evil Lord would cook up for him now that he was suddenly immune to the crutacious curse. He was grinning as Hermione appeared at his window.

"Come on, we don't have all day," Draco whispered, opening the window and letting her in. She gapped at the room before he snapped her out of it.

"We've got to get going, w-" Draco dragged her back to the window, suddenly the door opened and in walked Snape.

"Where do you think you're going?" He called as the two jumped up onto the sill and mounted the broom quickly. He ran after them and stood shouting out the window, Draco waved back on the tall man.

"Where to mighty prince of Slytherin?" Hermione called back to him.

"Hogwarts Lady Gryffindor," he replied, she grinned back at him and he couldn't help but return it.

"You don't want to go to the ministry and report where Voldemort is staying?" Hermione asked.

"He'll already be gone by the time they get around to checking there again and so will my father, they aren't stupid Hermione," he replied, she shrugged and turned her broom to the far off school.

When they landed the place was deserted, it was dark and way past curfew. When they finally got back to their common room, the Headmistress was waiting for them. She had her arms crossed and was looking very enraged.

"You thought you could miss a day without being noticed?" McGonagall sharply asked.

"I had to get him out of there Professor," Hermione hurriedly exclaimed but she fell silent at McGonagall's withering gaze.

"I understand you both are in your seventh year here and both for you are the heads of your year but please, refrain from putting yourselves in danger. Without you the very school will topple over and destroy itself," McGonagall waved her hand dismissively at their stunned faces. "Thank you Ms. Granger for your heroics in saving Mr. Malfoy but I'm afraid we will be needing even more guards, I understand Ms. Tonks was rendered temporarily stunned while your father came and got you. Tighter security and more responsibilities for you two. There will be stronger wards on your common room and windows as well," McGonagall informed them. "Well it is very late so I bid you goodnight," McGonagall started for the door.

"Yes Headmistress," they murmured as she disappeared out the door. Draco then looked over at Hermione and once again he felt much younger, more his age for once. The feeling got greater when he looked at her. She smiled slightly and started for the door.

"Maybe you could help me understand something before you go to bed," Draco called after her, she turned and waited. He explained to her what happened down in those dungeons and she thought for a while.

"I'll have to look up on it but it sounds a lot like what happened to Harry except you didn't have anyone around you that sacrificed themselves for you," Hermione mused, he nodded and she smiled, bidding him goodnight and walking into her room.

"Goodnight," he whispered after her.

Author's notes: Thank you everyone who reviewed, it's really helped me get these chapters out faster. You've been wonderful and dazzling inspiration. I know, this chapter seems a bit rushed but I've been playing Magna Carta and it's given me that sort of rushed style to my writing. Plus Enya's new cd made this chapter seem a little surreal. By the way I was listening to Ishq when I wrote the faery court chapter. Thanks again!


	13. Chapter 13

Draco was tossing and turning, his dreams for the past month were elusive, fading like a storm that left it's damage but the sun shiny clouds and perfect sky contradicted the hell that was waging deep down in his brain, far from his conscious thought. There was nothing at all that Hermione could tell him about what happened. She only shrugged and said it might have been the work of the mermaid Head Priestess for all she knew. Draco had took to staring off in classes, even potions and had ended up unprepared for everything, he was in desperate need of help.

"Look, I know you're not going to ask me so I might as well offer my services, Draco, do you need me to help tutor you?" Hermione asked one day in the common room as he stared at the same page for an hour, trying to figure it out but couldn't. He glared up at her then looked back down on the book, finally he sat it aside.

"Let's first begin this conversation with what I really want to know, are you and Harry Potter having a relationship?" Draco asked, leaning forward, Hermione rolled her eyes and sat her own book aside.

"No I am not 'seeing' Harry Potter, he went on another mission without telling me and we got into a huge fight about it in the Gryffindor common room," Hermione answered.

"Next question-"

"No, it isn't your turn," Hermione grinned at him then straightened up. "Why didn't you protest when I came to your window? Why not try and keep me away from the danger like Harry has been trying to do lately?" Hermione asked, he shrugged.

"You're a strong girl that can take care of herself. You knew what you were doing when you came to my window. You knew how to gain access to the grounds and everything, also I knew I couldn't stop you even if I tried," Draco answered.

"My turn again, why do you keep running from me?" Draco asked, Hermione's eyes went wide and she stopped breathing.

"Ru-Running from you? What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Why pull away from me when I touch you? Are you really not attracted to me?" Draco asked, leaning towards her.

"I don't think I have to answer that," Hermione stood up and started for her door.

"Just like that, running as soon as the subject of us comes up," Draco called after her, she stopped and slowly turned around.

"What happened to you? Where's the stuck up, evil little brat I grew up with?" Hermione asked him.

"You didn't answer my question, why should I answer yours?" Draco stood up to face her, the couch between them.

"Mine's more relevant," Hermione crossed her arms.

"No, yours is just easier to answer but I still asked mine first," Draco pointed out.

"Fine, the problem is, is that I find that I'm actually attracted to you, a lot more than I'll admit and that scares me. You are a heartless, racist, piece of shit that has only been a sore in mine and Harry's side. You've teased, taunted and tortured us three ever since we first got here, can you blame me for being completely floored to find that you have a different side to you?" Hermione finally answered.

"If you must know then, that side is still there but it's only a mask, everyone has a different way of being around certain people. My father used to scare me shitless and after that there was Voldemort. They drilled certain things into my head and you know what? I am and always will be a slytherin and you may think that's a bad thing but it's not because I know when to save my own skin. Go ahead, barge right on into the battle without checking your back and realizing you're the only one jumping into it. I know when to fight, know when I will lose if I just jump in. You didn't grow up the same way I did. You don't have to hide everything from everyone around you all the time. I'm actually myself around you Hermione. For once I don't feel the need to hide behind insults and pranks," Draco ranted.

"Then why don't you see that standing up for yourself is also a good thing?" Hermione asked quietly, he sighed and turned from her.

"I prefer living until I'm at least thirty," Draco murmured.

"You went back and had the Crutacious curse casted on you and by some miracle you have some kind of immunity but look at yourself Draco, really look at yourself and tell me if you can do it, if you can truly stand up in the face of Voldemort because if you can't, there's no use talking about any sort of us," Hermione said then turned and went to her room, closing the door quietly behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

Draco paced around his room, fuming, things were getting closer and closer to the end of the year and he didn't like it one bit, in fact he hated it because this had to be the year Harry Potter & Co. was graduating and it just had to be the same year he graduates. He knew that something was going to happen in their final year and now that Voldemort has publicly killed muggles, mudbloods and even a half-blood…well, what could he say? Things were moving into the direction of a huge final battlefield and he didn't want any part of it. In fact he was contemplating a way of kidnapping Hermione and dragging her off into the sunset, FAR from any sort of evil Death Eater types. Of course he knew it was useless, first she would manage to escape and second there were always going to be Death Eater types, they were Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, no matter how many glamours they put on themselves for disguises, they will track them down and bring them back.

Draco looked up from his musing, his eye catching on the setting sun outside his window, it was definitely getting dark and he couldn't understand how everything suddenly changed, he could have sworn it was noon but no, not according to the sun. Draco snarled and walked over to his closet to pick out something to wear for dinner, it was spring solstice and they always had a huge feast for the occasion. Draco closed his door behind him after he had gotten dressed and there was Hermione, sitting in front of the fire, reading a book.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" Draco asked from behind her.

"I didn't even realize it was that late," Hermione snapped her book and stood up, turning around to face him.

"So? Will you join me?" Draco held out his arm to her, she looked down on it then back up at him.

"I'm sorry Draco, you go on ahead of me, I still have to get ready for the feast," Hermione murmured.

"Oh, alright then I'll see you later," Draco murmured and hurried out.

Draco sat next to the lake on a bench, it was already melted and the blue waters had less black in it. It was morning and he was just sitting there, thinking. Tomorrow was the rumor that Voldemort would come to Hogwart's very door to take it like a rich child who simply pointed and said "I want that, give it to me." Draco remembers when he actually used to say that and his father or mother would smile either adoringly or coldly and buy him the thing. Once he wanted a unicorn, you could imagine how that went down. He couldn't believe how many of those shimmering white horses showed up the next day on his door step for his choosing.

Suddenly the waters broke before him but it was just one of the arms of the giant squid. He sighed and leaned back, he half wanted to talk to the mermaid Priestess and was partly why he was there, sitting in the early morning dew. He looked around the shores and noticed Harry Potter sitting a few yards away, leaning forward with his head down almost to his hands.

"Hey," Draco got up and walked over, Harry slowly looked up at the other.

"What do you want?" Harry growled, looking back down at the ground.

"Just wondering what you were doing out here," Draco murmured, he could feel Harry roll his eyes.

"I just came out here to think. Don't worry, I won't try to drown myself or try to hang myself from one of these trees," Harry grumbled, hunching his shoulders even worse.

"Why? Are you thinking about actually doing it?" Draco asked, feeling suddenly awkward, he thought melancholy asshole was his job, not Potter's.

"Everyone thinks so ever since I was found with a pint of blood from my wrists in a bathtub a couple days ago. I'm surprised nobody's running out to see if I'm alright and drag me back into that wretched castle," Harry replied, his voice really did resemble a deep growl.

"Um…are you an idiot or am I just missing something here?" Draco asked, Harry slowly looked up at him and stared for a very long time then Draco saw it, the white bandages peeking out of the other's sleeves.

"Oh my-" Draco slowly started backing away but Harry stood up.

"Don't tell me what you think about me, don't talk to me, don't even look at me. You had best also stay away from Hermione, she doesn't need you because all you'll do is break her heart and she is the last person that needs that. You don't know me, nobody knows me and least of all you. Fuck, you've never even tried to get to know me, only see my weaknesses to fire me up. To cause a reaction and now that I've had it from everything, you're actually trying to talk to me like I'm a regular human being. I don't buy it Malfoy, don't you dare think that you can just waltz in, tip your hat and say hey chaps, lovely day righ'? You've got another thing coming," Harry hissed, following Draco back over the fields. Draco suddenly frowned and stopped, crossing his arms over his chest as Harry stood there, panting from suppressed rage.

"Wait a sweet marble faery tit moment, you don't expect me to swallow that bullshit you just spewed? I know you're an idiot, we all know it but have you ever tried to get to know me? I bet every penny of my father's fortune that you haven't. Another thing, why would you care about who Hermione hangs around? You're so busy on your secret missions that you don't even think about how much you've been hurting her yourself but just running off without telling her. Hell, I'm being more gentle than you and you're her best fucking friend," Draco shout back.

"You are the most stuck up little bastard I've ever me-" Harry was pointing at him now and Draco was just about to lung at him when Hermione screamed hey!

"What is going on here?" Hermione shouted, getting between them.

"Nothing Hermione," Harry murmured, crossing his arms to hide the bandages, Draco narrowed his eyes at the other.

"Look, I think you're both a little old for school yard brawls so why don't you both just go to your corners and cool down?" Hermione suggested, Harry nodded and walked off by himself with out giving them another glance.

"What was that about?" Hermione turned to Draco.

"Did you tell him about us?" Draco asked her, she frowned.

"There is no us to talk about," she said and started back to the castle.

"Then why did he say something about it?" Draco called after her. She froze then slowly turned around.

"It's kind of hard not to see it even if we're fighting it," Hermione replied quietly.

"You mean, you're fighting it," Draco snapped back.

"Don't you see Draco?" She walked back to him. "It could never possibly work because you are immersed in the enemy. It would be like if Snape had married Lily Potter," Hermione said.

"So that's it then? You're already engaged," Draco crossed his arms.

"What? That's not what I said. Look, Draco it just wouldn't work out, you already told me we're two different people that couldn't be in the same room with eachother," Hermione murmured then turned and walked away from him.


	15. Chapter 15

Draco was pacing again, he didn't like this unconscious habit but it was calming if a bit annoying. Finally he opened his door and went for a late night walk. There was nothing else he could do and he didn't want the rug to show un-necessary wear from him pacing. He found himself where he thought he would be, in front of the lake. He sighed and crouched down to pick up a rock, examining it before going on to another, he was trying to think but there was this block right in the center which prevented any sort of progress to take place.

"Good evening Mr. Draco, long time no see," a sultry female voice purred in front of him, he looked up and there she was but she had changed a lot since winter. She had dark red hair with dark tanned skin with a ring of tiny shells around her neck. Her eyes were still clouded over though.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," Draco said, she smiled slowly.

"I imagine you would…you want to know why you are immune to the crutacious curse," she paused while he nodded. "Why isn't the answer obvious? My bite infused magical properties into your blood, making you partly one of us. Isn't it wonderful how merpeople are so powerful? You could control anything you wanted, be immune to everything in the entire world. You wouldn't have to worry about anything," she said wistfully, Draco stood up and looked down on her. She was laying in the shallow bank, her long light green tail flipped up lazily.

"You don't understand, I can't leave," Draco murmured.

"Yes, you have your mother to worry about, not to mention a certain Hermione Granger," she smirked up at him. "Come on, would it be so bad to leave them behind? They are strong women, they have already proven resourceful and smart," she flipped over onto her back and stared up at him, he ran his eyes down her long sculpted body then shook his head, trying to get that amazing image out of his mind.

"I'm sorry, I can't leave, not now," Draco backed away from her.

"I've been very nice up until now and I deserve a little credit. You are going to come with me whether you like it or not," She sat up and lunged towards him. He cried out as she dragged him down and then he slowly started sliding towards the waters. He started screaming for help, looking up and over to where one of the Aurors started towards him but he was a few yards off. Suddenly he felt the ice cold water seep into his skin then he had disappeared into the depths, his eyes blinking up at the man bending over the lake, reaching after him. He looked back on her and she smiled at him then leaned forward and kissed him lightly.

"My name is Anydas, welcome to my kingdom," she gestured behind her vaguely, he looked past her and slowly lights came into focus as they sunk down even deeper.

"What is it?" Draco asked her.

"This is Rhen, the underwater city that houses Anydas, one of the greatest surviving sorceresses in the world," she replied, Draco took a deep breathe but choked because he realized he was actually breathing water and having no trouble with it, he looked over at Anydas questioningly.

"It is easy for us merpeople to give a temporary way of breathing water," she replied to his look.

"I see…so what happens now?" Draco asked.

"You become mine, all mine. No one can take you away from me and no one will ever know where you have gone. There is no war out there, nothing that you need to even remember," she said smoothly, Draco felt like his memories being erased as he kept listening to her, he suddenly shook his head.

"No, I don't think so, I have to go back. They need me up there," Draco tried to push himself away from her.

"Of course they don't need you, you are nothing but a selfish little brat to them, a little rich boy," she hissed, Draco looked back to her. "You know it's true, you are worthless to them."

"I don't believe that," Draco replied evenly. He tried to flap his arms, trying to get away from her.

"You'll never be able to get anywhere with those," she grabbed his arm and bit him, deeply, he cried out. Pain rolled through him as he clutched his arm to his chest.

"Leave me alone," he screamed at her.

"You can't fight against me," she replied. He looked up desperately but it was black above him, the only light was coming from the merpeople city.

"Hermione!" Draco screamed but nothing replied. The bite was starting to get to him and the world started to go fuzzy then the colors started to fade to black and finally he had lost consciousness.

Author's notes: Don't worry, it's almost done surprisingly…


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione was sitting on her window sill, reading a book when she heard shouting down below, she got up and leaned out her window, craning her neck to see what was the matter. Finally she hurried out into the common room and knocked on Draco's door loudly but no one answer. She huffed and tried the knob, it opened into a deserted room. She called out feebly to him but nothing answered. She then turned and hurried out and down to the entrance hall where many of the Aurors assigned to Hogwarts were now gathered.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, Tonks turned to her slowly.

"I'm sorry Hermione but Draco Malfoy has disappeared into the lake-" Tonks explained, Hermione gasped and pushed her way out to the door and ran through it to the lake. She stopped at the edge and looked down into the dark depths. She slowly took a deep breathe and prepared to dive in when she noticed something moving in the water.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ms. Granger," the mermaid Priestess surfaced.

"You give him back," she demanded and the mermaid started laughing.

"You want me to give back what I have rightfully claimed? There is nothing you can do now Ms. Granger so I suggest you turn around and head back the way you came before I am forced to kill such an intelligent and promising witch," she pointed past Hermione.

"You can't kill me, you won't. You have no real reason to," Hermione crossed her arms.

"Oh really? Well it just so happens that you are the only one who can bring Draco back and I'm afraid I can't allow that to happen. It's futile really, I won't let this one go, not like last time," she replied stiffly.

"You are selfish, egotistical and stubborn, you can't do this," Hermione shouted, she let out another laugh.

"We make a good match don't you think? Look why don't you do us both a favor and go-" the mermaid was leaning forward now, a dangerous edge entering her voice.

"No need for that Anydas," Draco suddenly appeared next to her.

"Draco?" Hermione asked quietly, he looked different, much different from the last time she saw him. He had blazing ice gray eyes and long ears that thinned out as they extended out from his head. His face was slightly more angular with sharp rows of teeth in his mouth. Hermione barely recognized him.

"Yes, don't look the same, right?" He smirked and that was exactly the same.

"He's one of us now but something happened, he's now a sea dragon my dear," the mermaid turned back to Hermione.

"You thought you could keep something so precious from us? Leave before I kill you out of spite," she hissed.

"Draco, you know you don't want to stay there," Hermione breathed.

"I'm sorry Hermione but this is where I am needed. This is where I belong," Draco said then turned and disappeared.

"Go away little princess, go back to your fairy tales of good and evil where you belong," the mermaid dismissed her with a wave of her arm then turned and followed Draco. Hermione sunk to the ground, tears starting to rise in her eyes as she covered her face with her hands. She couldn't believe that he had left her, couldn't believe there wouldn't be another day without him in it to torture her in some way. She should have felt liberated that her long suffered enemy was now gone but all she felt was a huge hole in her heart. One she thought would never go away. She finally got up and turned away. The sun was peeking over the horizon and she was stiff from sitting there for so long. She numbly made her way back to the castle and up to her room. She then fell into her bed and sleep consumed her.

She was in water but she felt perfectly dry as she looked around the sparkling depths. She wanted to move but she felt like her limbs were gone, she was just a floating head in the water as she looked all around her. She wanted to scream but nothing came out of her mouth. Suddenly a figure was moving towards her gracefully. It was Draco in his new form, a long tail with whip like antennas made a sporadic line down it. It was dark red and had fanned out fins, almost like wings towards the middle and the red extended up his torso and reached up almost to his shoulders.

"This is the only way I can talk to you with out her knowing," Draco explained, reaching forward but she felt herself recoil. His hands were no longer hands but long red claws.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him.

"I don't know, nobody knew this was going to happen, that I would become this…Anydas had a clue but she didn't think I would really take this form…I want to come back but I don't know how. She forced me into this, she's never going to let me go," Draco explained.

"Come to the shore three days from now at the last minute of sunset. By then I'll have something figured out, alright?" Hermione waited, he nodded slowly. "I'll get you out of there, I promise."

"Thank you," He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, suddenly she was awake and staring up at the ceiling. She then got up and hurried down to the hospital wing.


	17. Chapter 17

"No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes  
And no one knows  
What it's like to be hated  
To be fated to telling only lies

_Chorus:_  
But my dreams they aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be  
I have hours, only lonely  
My love is vengeance  
That's never free"

Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Bizkit

(I know he didn't originally make this song but it's still a powerful version.)

Hermione was waiting, she couldn't do anything else but that as she stared down on what had taken Draco. The Priestess was there every single time Hermione went to the lake and she was afraid that Draco wouldn't be able to come when he was supposed to. It was almost sunset and Hermione desperately wanted the woman to go away but she couldn't think up anything at all. Finally the sun was just in the last minute and he appeared, rising up next to the Priestess. Hermione got up from her bench and walked forward, the mermaid hissed, exposing her sharp teeth to the girl.

"I'm not afraid of you," Hermione growled.

"You should be child, you really should be," Anydas growled as Hermione was to her knees in water.

"No, you should be afraid of me," Hermione pulled out a long three sided knife from her belt and lashed out, deliberately slicing cleanly into Draco's upper arm, the Priestess hissed and lunged at her. Hermione yelped, falling back and landing in the shallow water, her head hitting the hard rocks, she blacked out.

When she woke up she was in her bed, under the covers and quite warm. She blurrily looked around her room and sighed, snuggling in deeper. She noticed that her clothes were on the chair by her bed, still wet. She looked around her deserted room then suddenly it dawned on her, she was naked. She pulled her blankets up and sat up, looking around hurriedly but still no one appeared. She got up slowly as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She choked back bile before proceeding over to her closet. She came back out dressed and walked out to the common room where Draco was sprawled over one the couches, soundly asleep. He looked exactly like he did a week ago, completely human. She grinned and hurried over to him as his eyes slowly blinked open.

"Good, you're awake," He murmured, sitting up and rubbing his hair which she noticed was very messy for once. She sat down on the couch next to him.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Well I managed to get you out of there before she did too much damage. I was already turning back by then and it was just a matter of hurrying through the castle before anyone noticed my lack of clothes," Draco explained.

"Didn't any of the aurors help?" Hermione asked.

"There was a disturbance on the other side of the grounds, a few death eaters were spotted and I think they arrested Crabbe. It was a weak attack but I imagine it'll get even worse soon," Draco explained, she nodded.

"Thank you," Hermione breathed.

"For what? You're the one that saved me," Draco replied, she shrugged.

"For coming back, you didn't have to," Hermione answered.

"I couldn't leave you to defeat the dark forces by yourself. Sure Harry Potter is going to destroy Voldemort but who's going to get the Death Eaters?" Draco smiled at her sweetly.

"You mean us right?" Hermione whispered.

"If we can talk about us that is," Draco was trying to suppress a grin.

"Of course, of course," Hermione exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him tightly, he hissed as she put pressure on his shoulder wound she had given him. She jumped back then laughed.

"I'm sorry," Hermione shook her head.

"Don't be," Draco breathed, his hand reaching up to her chin as he leaned forward, this time she didn't pull away as he brushed his lips against hers.

"I love you," Draco whispered into her lips, she pulled back and looked up at him.

"I'm starting to believe you," Hermione felt a smile start to crawl over her face.

"I'm starting to believe that I can also," Draco replied, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.

"You're not going to disappear on me anymore?" Hermione asked sternly.

"Of course not, never again," Draco replied, she nodded and kissed him again.

The End

Thanks everyone who reviewed!


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